The Brunettes - If You Were Alien

What this video is

Released in 2007 as part of The Brunettes' Sub Pop debut Structure and Cosmetics, 'If You Were Alien' captures the Auckland indie pop band at their international commercial peak. Fronted by Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield, the duo formed in 1998 from Auckland's garage-infused indie scene, inspired by 1960s girl groups and 1970s punk. Their Sub Pop signing in 2006 marked their first US label release after years…

Why it matters

A defining artefact of mid-2000s antipodean indie pop's international moment, this video encapsulates the aesthetic of the Lil' Chief Records / Sub Pop crossover era: handcrafted, warm-toned, theatrically playful, and rooted in 1960s bubblegum and girl-group nostalgia updated for the digital age.…